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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207412">Burned Like One Burning Flame, Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei'>saisei</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Halloween Fic [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bloody Mary References, Canonical Character Death, Exorcisms, Gen, Ghosts, Haunting, Insomnia (city), M/M, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:34:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/saisei/pseuds/saisei</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Shadows were his friends these days; the sunlight was bright enough that he could discern light and dark as he walked through the ruined streets, and in that darkness he had the strong impression that Noct was present. Or... not the Noct who had died, he believed, but the pieces of Noct that had had to be abandoned to empower the True King, the way the old kings had sheared off pieces of their souls to embed in the Ring and the Wall.</i>
</p><p>Ignis lays the scattered pieces of Noct's soul to rest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Halloween Fic [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>FFXV Book Club Monthly Sprint Prompts, FFXV Halloween Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Burned Like One Burning Flame, Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For FFXV Halloween Week day 3 "urban legends".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ignis stood in front of the mirror, feeling ridiculous. He was thirty-six years old, and held a responsible position in the ragtag government of New Insomnia. Reconstruction was focused on restarting agriculture and industry. He'd argued early on that the downtown area should not be prioritized: so many tall buildings were damaged and unsafe, so many unburied dead remained inside, a silent population of unhappy souls. They cleared out as many single-family homes as workers needed, but he'd insisted that restoring high-rise luxury condominiums like this one would be a waste of resources.</p><p>He had not been motivated by selfish sentimentalism. But it was convenient that Noct's former residence was uninhabited – untouched as well, he thought. A looter would have to be dedicated to climb up so many stories just to break in, and Noct's personal possessions had been removed to the Citadel for safekeeping before they left for Altissia, anyway.</p><p>Ignis was, of course, not here to loot or vandalize, though he'd had to pick the locks on the front door. He'd felt almost as if he was coming home himself, a wave of nostalgia that made his throat tighten and his eyes burn. He wanted more than anything to be young again, to walk in and call to Noct, take his shoes off and tie on his apron, to see Noct, on the sofa or at the table or standing on the balcony...</p><p>He suspected the balcony and possibly a large portion of the outer wall had been torn away: a cold wind whistled through the rooms. Another reason so many of these buildings were uninhabitable was the rubble and broken window glass everywhere. Even though it pained him, he left his boots on as he stepped up to the hallway. He fought instinct. His pride told him he could navigate these rooms blind from memory; his good sense reminded him sharply that he would have no idea if there was a hole in the floor until he fell through it.</p><p>No one knew where he was. That knowledge was exhilarating. He suspected he'd always be drawn to the perverse thrills of freedom, after so many years in service to the Crown.</p><p>He tapped his way down the hall, past Noct's bedroom, past the kitchen, memories as thick and heavy as the dust in the air. While he knew both rooms had been emptied and professionally cleaned, he felt a wrench down in the pit of his stomach, a claustrophobic distress. He needed to just rip away the veil from his eyes and he'd see the signs of life he <i>knew</i> were there: discarded sports clothes and bags of snacks on the floor, an unmade bed; the ingredients for dinner lined up on the counter and a cup of fresh coffee to indulge in.</p><p>He took a deep breath and then coughed on the bad air. Ha. What he deserved, really.</p><p>He'd brought a candle lantern, and he set it on the table and lit it now, worried for a moment that the light would gutter out, the glass dome insufficient. But it seemed to survive, so he took out the rest of what he brought with him. He made a ring around the lantern of elemental crystals, an empty potions flask, a fishing lure, a handful of photos, and finally the pendant from around his neck. As a child he'd scoffed at his fellow elementary school pupils for believing in this kind of superstitious ritual, when he knew what <i>real</i> magic was.</p><p>But he'd been wrong.</p><p>He'd spent a decade studying all he could about Lucian magic, and traveled to Tenebrae to research that of the Oracles. He helped Kimya Auburnbrie move her shop to Lestallum, and worked for her for nearly a year and a half. None of this helped him save Noct in the final battle, a failure that shadowed him still.</p><p>But shadows were his friends these days; the sunlight was bright enough that he could discern light and dark as he walked through the ruined streets, and in that darkness he had the strong impression that Noct was present. Or... not the Noct who had died, he believed, but the pieces of Noct that had had to be abandoned to empower the True King, the way the old kings had sheared off pieces of their souls to embed in the Ring and the Wall.</p><p>He sensed Noct first one day when they'd been salvaging an old game arcade: Prompto had identified some machines that he thought he could fix up and bring out to a youth center he was setting up, out in the suburbs. Ignis couldn't have said how he knew Noct was there, whether it was a hint of the terrible cologne he'd used in high school or the distinctive scuff of his shoes, but the hair at the back of his neck rose and Gladio made him sit down with his head between his knees, saying he'd gone pale like he was about to pass out.</p><p>Ignis brushed off his concern, blaming it on skipping breakfast, but he returned a few days later, with his crystals, other Noct-summoning paraphernalia, and a deep sense of embarrassment. A mirror as well, of course.</p><p>He'd called Noct to him, explained that he needn't remain in Insomnia any longer, and then stepped on the mirror, breaking it and the spell. Noct disappeared, as silently and sullenly as he'd arrived.</p><p>Ignis found as many haunted places as he could. The Citadel alone took weeks, and a good bit of tidying up broken glass. He dislodged Noct's presence from his elementary school, from Ignis' and Gladio's former homes, from fishing spots and the hill where they used to stargaze. The sushi shop where Noct worked, and the roadside where the Marilith nearly killed him. The hospital.</p><p>And now, at last, he was ready to deal with the final fragment of Noct.</p><p>He put his fingers on the cool glass of the mirror in Noct's bathroom, and remembered. He'd lost some bet with Noct over a game, and as a penalty Noct – who'd recently started overusing styling products – had stood him here to watch as Noct slicked his hair straight up with great malicious glee, commanding him to leave it that way, forever, royal decree.</p><p>Ignis had a strong perverse streak, and refused to wear his hair down to this day.</p><p>He stared into the mirror as best he could, trying to aim his gaze at the point of contact with his fingers. Then he said,</p><p>"Noctis Lucis Caelum."</p><p>Like one of those terrible after-school horror shows, he thought. He'd never live this down if Gladio and Prompto found out.</p><p>"Noctis Lucis Caelum."</p><p>The wind was picking up, pulled in by the magic gathering in the air. He took a breath.</p><p>A third time. "Noctis Lucis Caelum." He felt a sudden phantom warmth at his back, like the brush of wary eyes taking him in. "Noct."</p><p>Noct's ghosts were not able to speak, and Ignis couldn't see. Unfair, but that was what he expected from the gods.</p><p>"I know you don't want to be driven away," he told Noct, walking out into the living room and assuming that Noct followed. "Your fate was cruel, and you had so much stolen from you – your childhood and family. Your dreams. I understand how much you want to be here, in this city, your home. Yet I imagine... you're quite lonely, as you are."</p><p>He reached for Noct's hand with blind trust, and curled his fingers carefully around the emptiness that, after a long patient moment,  filled it with familiar presence.</p><p>"Why don't we go out on the balcony?" Ignis suggested. He tried to keep his expression relaxed and open, with no suggestion of pity. Noct would hate thinking he was here only because he felt sorry for him, and that would undo all Ignis' careful plans. "Reconstruction proceeds apace, and I'm curious whether our efforts are visible from here. And, well – if they do justice to your city," he added, honesty that hurt his pride. "We've been doing our best, but... you know."</p><p>Perhaps Noct said something. Ignis waited a moment, out of politeness, and then tugged Noct along as he crossed the room, aiming for where he remembered the balcony door had been. He'd left his stick behind, he realized belatedly. But he supposed it didn't matter.</p><p>The wind grew very strong, and he had to lean into it like a gale as it howled around him.</p><p>Only to be expected, of course. Noct's apartment was very high up.</p><p>"You can show me the new places you guys were building," Noct said, slotting his fingers together with Ignis' and swinging their linked hands as if carefree. Ignis wondered how old he was; what he looked like, standing here in what he supposed was the middle of the road, sunlight in his hair. "I only know the old ones, and those are kind of – "</p><p>He must have pulled a face at that, which Ignis naturally didn't see. A moment later, Noct ran his fingers over Ignis' cheek, along the edge of the scarring.</p><p>"I thought maybe – " Noct cut himself off, his hand pulling away. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"I'm not." Ignis considered elaborating, but decided those two words sufficed. "I am glad to be here and with you. Are we facing west?"</p><p>Noct leaned against him and shrugged.</p><p>"The direction of that bakery you liked," he elaborated.</p><p>Noct nudged him around so they were facing the opposite direction, and they set off walking, talking and laughing, the world before them to explore.</p>
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